Students drop books, take to streets against war
By Charisse Jones USA TODAY
Several thousand high school and college students from New York to California took to the streets Wednesday, walking out of classes to protest a possible war with Iraq.
In Chicago, about 1,000 people rallied at Federal Plaza downtown. Jesse Jackson compared the protests to the student sit-ins at Woolworth's during the civil rights movement in the 1960s.
In New York City, hundreds of students chanting ''Drop books not bombs'' gathered in Union Square before making their way uptown to Hunter College, where they held an anti-war rally.
About 1,500 demonstrators protested at Pennsylvania State University in State College, then submitted petitions asking local council members to speak out against an invasion.
A throng of students demonstrated at Marquette University in Milwaukee, while about 500 set aside their textbooks at the University of Maryland in College Park and marched out of their classrooms.
The walkout was part of a national day of protest, organized to build on the momentum sparked Feb. 15, when tens of thousands of Americans and millions around the world protested proposed military action in Iraq.
Mirroring those global demonstrations, thousands of students also protested Wednesday in Spain, Britain and Sweden.
Though the demonstrations in the USA were non-violent, 18 people were arrested for blocking a Los Angeles intersection. About 500 students demonstrated in front of Venice High School, and 1,000 students staged a protest at Santa Monica City College.
Turnout was sparse in some places, and some students demonstrated in support of a war. In Oxford, Ohio, about 125 students gathered in a light rain for a demonstration at Miami University.
At Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, fewer than a dozen people gathered in front of the campus' Student Center for a short rally, at which a guitarist sang anti-war songs.
But in other parts of the country, teenagers and college students toted placards with their backpacks to protest.
''I am not a fan of Saddam Hussein,'' said Sam Brook, 24, a New York University law student. ''But what we need to articulate is whether or not a war is going to benefit anyone. Even if we kicked out Saddam, what would follow him? And how many people are we going to kill in the process?''
Jessica Kibblewhite, 17, a senior at Chicago's Lincoln Park High School, said: ''I can't vote yet, so I have no power, no voice. But I feel insulted by (President) Bush, and I have no other way to be heard.''
While some students said they risked detention or suspension for walking out of class, many others said they had permission from their teachers and parents.
''I don't know if all parents support cutting school for it, but my parents agree with what we're doing,'' said Sabrina Howell, 17, a junior at New York's Stuyvesant High School who skipped physics to march downtown. ''I think they're very supportive because they participated in the Vietnam War protests.''
The Vietnam conflict was evoked often Wednesday, be it the black armbands with the word ''Peace'' or the occasional placard proclaiming ''Make love not war.''
''I am definitely inspired by the student movement during the Vietnam War,'' said Elyse Liebovitch, 20, a sophomore at NYU. ''Seeing pictures and hearing stories from back then always amazed me. I always wanted to be a part of something like that and experience what it was like. Unfortunately, now I am.''
But I think there must be a "peace" march in town today up near the garrison - guess who's keeping out the way! S'pose I better check the local paper on Monday.
